Brigadoon Software, the maker of PC PhoneHome and MacPhoneHome is pleased to announce the release of CopyAlert™. CopyAlert is a security application that disables the capability of an unauthorized party to copy your proprietary data to external media sources such as USB Devices, CDs, DVDs, iPods, External Hard Drives, etc.

CopyAlert™ will disable all USB devices plugged into the host computer unless white-listed by the authorized user. CopyAlert will alert the user to FAILED attempts to copy and transfer your proprietary files to an external media source…

CopyAlert™ will also alert the user via email with a list of the files that were attempted to be copied by the intruder.

Our award winning PC PhoneHome™ and MacPhoneHome™ Theft Protection and Recovery Software is the NUMBER ONE stand-alone computer tracking and recovery software in the world to both the Windows and Mac communities! We are currently protecting over 2,000,000 computers worldwide.

Comment: If the NSA had protected it’s computers with CopyAlert , Edward Snowden would NOT have been able to steal secrets documents from the NSA using a Thumbdrive! CopyAlert sends REAL TIME alerts of intrusion and notification of attempted unauthorized copying of files by an instruder. It even tells you what files they attempted to steal… I can’t imagine why anyone with proprietary information to protect would not take advantage of such an inexpensive cutting edge security tool to protect their sensitive data…

When Brigadoon Software launched PC PhoneHome 13 years ago there were only two companies doing theft tracking and recovery. “We were the first to use the Internet to track your computer – in 1999 we advertised the first Internet-based tracking software to ascertain the location using the originating IP addresses ,” said Tim Albright, VP Brigadoon Software. “They were still using a dial-up number. In the ensuing time many new tracking products have been marketed. Which concerns the Brigadoon staff, who are ex law enforcement, predominately retired NYPD investigators. “All of these are in violation of eavesdropping or wiretapping laws,” Albright said. “It’s illegal to own, possess, or use any device designed for the surreptitious tracking of electronic communications. When you take screen shots of what the person is doing… you’re eavesdropping. When sending copies of what they’re typing that’s illegal copying of electronic communication.” Read the whole story here: http://securebuzz.ca/2012/08/331-331/

Comment: This is a VERY important story for anyone considering using tracking software to protect your computer from theft. Make SURE the software product does NOT contain spyware that could put you and your organization in legal jeopardy. Both PC PhoneHome and MacPhoneHome contain NO SPYWARE… We also protect your ipad, iphone, ipod touch and Android based tablets and phones from theft!

CHICAGO (AP) — A baggage handler at Chicago’s Midway Airport has been charged with stealing laptop computers from travelers’ luggage. Salvador Johnson, of Gary, Ind., faces a felony count of theft and could get up to five years in prison if found guilty. The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office said Saturday the investigation began after numerous complaints of thefts of laptops belonging to Southwest Airlines customers. Read the entire story here: http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Midway-baggage-handler-charged-with-laptop-theft-3781051.php

An Ottawa woman who recently moved to Calgary had to leave town without a prized possession: her high-end laptop computer. It was stolen from her apartment, and she says that although a GPS-based application shows the location of her stolen computer, police have been slow to act. On June 19, Kate Kawaja, 26, returned home to her locked apartment to find that her MacBook Pro was missing. She was devastated and says that the computer contained photos from her extensive travels, the beginnings of university applications, and a novel she was working on, amongst other things.

When police investigated, they told her that it appeared that whomever had taken her computer likely had a key. Only two people had keys: Kawaja, and her landlord, whom she identifies only as ‘Albert.’ Kawaja strongly suspected that her landlord was behind the theft, as they had fought the week before about property damage he said she was responsible for, but that she says predated her tenancy. Kawaja says her landlord was behaving “aggressively” toward her, and made repeated harassing phone calls.

Comment: There are many FREE computer tracking device software applications available on the internet. The problem with them is that they are WORTHLESS if you are serious about getting your property back… They offer very little technical and NO recovery support… and most of them offer no documentation at all. Professional grade tracking software like PC PhoneHome and MacPhoneHome offer our clients fifteen years of experience tracking and recovering computing devices worldwide… There is a procedure police must go through in the investigation of the theft of a computing device. Ownership must be established… Serial numbers and other identifying indicia on the device must be established and documented… The time of theft must be established… The theft must be reported to the police in a timely fashion and a police report generated… Otherwise there will be no follow-up by the police… The investigating police officer will need to collect critical information to present to a judge to obtain a search warrant to recover the lost computer once it’s location has been obtained. Unless crucial data has been obtained NO SEARCH WARRANT WILL BE ISSUED… and you WON’T get your computing device back… Almost ALL of these so-called free apps are foreign made and these companies have very little experience dealing with US law enforcement. Almost all the personnel at Brigadoon Software, Inc. are former law enforcement personnel who have decades of experience in police investigations.

How PC PhoneHome and MacPhoneHome work… Once the software is installed, the computer sends a stealth email to a pre-determined email address of the user’s choice and to our server containing identifying indicia and the computer’s location every time the computer gets an internet connection. We archive those messages to help build a case if your computer is ever lost or stolen. Once a stolen computer calls in, we create a special case folder containing all the messages received from your machine PRIOR to its being stolen and all messages received AFTER it was stolen including its location. This information is included in a “SEARCH WARRANT SUPPORT AFFIDAVIT” that we supply to the investigating officer which includes the nomenclature of our software (how it works) and sample messages from your machine before and after it was stolen. These messages include positive identification data such as processor serial number, internal mac address and hard drive serial number. This information is critical to the investigating officer and the judge who must make a “probable cause” determination before issuing the search warrant. In fifteen years, we have NEVER has a search warrant petition denied… So… if you are SERIOUS about protecting you computing devices from theft… DON’T take a chance on an inferior so-called free app that offers little in the way of protection or support… Leave it to the professionals at http://www.brigadoonsoftware.com Our PC PhoneHome and MacPhoneHome products are MADE IN THE USA by US programmers and our staff of recovery agents are located in our HQ in New York… Not somewhere overseas… We can even protect your iPad and Android tablets from theft… Give us a call… Leave it to the Pros…

iCrime is on the rise, with the release of the truly stunning statistic that forty percent of all stolen items in New York City is an Apple product. Well, at least the thieves have good taste…?

Recently, I was talking to a friend who lives in San Francisco about the fact that, in certain areas of the city, people have stopped using their iPhones and iPods while walking on the streets. The reason why, this friend explained, was that thieves had suddenly started just blatantly grabbing the Apple devices out of their owners hands, and – somewhat stunningly to me – gotten away with it. “Don’t other people see?” I asked, incredulously. “Doesn’t somebody try to stop this kind of thing happening?” My friend gave me the shrug, the one that you’ve seen a hundred times before, which roughly translates into, Don’t ask me. I’m just the messenger. Read the entire story here: http://www.digitaltrends.com/apple/2-in-5-things-stolen-in-new-york-city-is-an-apple-product/#ixzz22DUmYHlx

Comment: You don’t have to be a victom… Brigadoon Software’s PC PhoneHome and MacPhoneHome will protect ALL your computing devices from theft… Our NEW MacPhoneHome Mobile for iOS will track and locate your iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch anywhere on the planet if it’s stolen… We have also released Android PhoneHome for your Android Tablet and Android Phone… You don’t have to be a victim… MacPhoneHome Mobile for iOS and Android PhoneHome are FREE to all our PC PhoneHome and MacPhoneHome customers… Check them out now at: http://ww.brigadoonsoftware.com

Comment: This happens all the time… Proprietary information is put at risk because the computer owner and/or their organization does not take appropriate security safeguards. If PC PhoneHome or MacPhoneHome had been installed on this computer, the owner would have a very good chance of getting their computer returned to them. You can download a full featured 30 day evaluation copy of PC PhoneHome or MacPhoneHome directly from: http://www.brigadoonsoftware.com/technical-support.html

The month of April has already seen twice as many laptop thefts on campus as the previous month, an uptick driven especially by thefts from residence halls and undergraduate classroom buildings. Harvard University Police Department logs indicate that 14 laptops have been stolen in April as of Sunday. Eight of the computers were taken from Houses—four from Quincy, three from Winthrop, and one from Lowell—and others were stolen from Boylston Hall, William James Hall, the Advocate, the Holyoke Center, and the Center for Astrophysics. Read the whole story here: http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2012/4/24/laptop-thefts-double/

Comment: Laptop theft on college campuses worldwide is rampant. You don’t have to be a victim! Low cost site licenses of PC PhoneHome and MacPhoneHome protect college campuses and K-12 schools systems nationwide. You can get full information on how to protect your school from computer theft at: http://www.brigadoonsoftware.com

A federal cyber-spying lawsuit against a North East software developer has been placed on hold because the company, DesignerWare LLC, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Brian M. Mancos, lawyer for DesignerWare, recently filed notice of the bankruptcy in U.S. District Court in Erie. Chapter 11 bankruptcy allows the party to reorganize to pay its debts. The filing puts to a halt, at least temporarily, a lawsuit a Wyoming couple filed against DesignerWare in May. The couple, Crystal and Brian Byrd, claim DesignerWare’s software, PC Rental Agent, was installed on a computer they bought at an Aaron’s Rental Store in Casper, Wyo., and then used to spy on Brian Byrd as he played online poker. PC Rental Agent was marketed to help rental stores track down stolen computer equipment. Read the whole story here: http://www.goerie.com/article/20120409/NEWS02/304099962/Bankruptcy-filing-halts-cyber-spying-lawsuit-against-North-East-company

Comment: Buyers need to beware when buying computer theft and recovery software to make sure it doesn’t contain spyware that monitors your keystrokes and spys on you using your own built-in camera or takes pictures of your desktop. Recent court decisions in the USA have ruled that this is illegeal eavedropping and in violation of US Code… a FEDERAL CRIME… It could also make you liable to invasion of privacy lawsuits as some school systems have recently found out…

PC PhoneHome and MacPhoneHome DO NOT contain spyware… They were created and Made in the USA by American programmers. You can download a copy right now from: http://www.brigadoonsoftware.com

The chaos of completing schoolwork usually means students are thinking of anything but protecting their possessions, but the busiest times of the semester are when they’re most vulnerable. The LSU Police Department and Middleton Library officials have put students on alert after a number of laptop thefts on campus following midterm week. According to LSUPD spokesman Capt. Cory Lalonde, students need to be most careful to avoid theft when they study in public and are most absent-minded. “These types of crimes happen the most often during heavy study times like during midterms and final exams,” Lalonde said. “We get reports at various times throughout the semester, but at these times, personal theft is most common.” Shayne Bertrand, circulation desk manager at Middleton Library, agreed, saying this semester’s midterm week was particularly crime-stricken. “Three laptops were taken on the same day,” Bertrand said. Read the whole story here: http://www.lsureveille.com/news/laptop-cell-phone-ipod-thefts-spike-during-midterm-week-1.2720509#.T3qIee2NqbI

Comment: Computer theft is a daily event on college campuses worldwide. Savvy campus security and IT staff utilize a proven deterrent like PC PhoneHome and MacPhoneHome to dramatically reduce campus computer theft. Inexpensive campus wide licenses of PC PhoneHome and MacPhoneHome are available to locate and recover lost and stolen computers. Don’t be a victim! Download PC PhoneHome and MacPhoneHome today from: http://www.brigdoonsoftware.com